Timber transporting power device



March 22, 1960 J. LOMBARDI TIMBER TRANSPORTING POWER DEVICE Filed Jan. 10, 1956 ER TRANSPGRTING POWER DEVICE Jacques Lombardi, Iseste, France Application January 10, 1956, Serial No. 558,313

Claims priority, application France February 1, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 203-220) This invention relates to power winches and more particularly to a power winch specially designed for dismembering timber in hilly or mountainous sites, although the apparatus forming the subject-matter of this invention can be used in many other applications.

The power winch according to this invention is char acterized essentially in that it comprises three elements each adapted to be carried separately by a man and to be assembled on the site very rapidly; the first element is a device adapted to be secured on a tree and comprising a vertical pin about which the winch is intended to pivot; the second element is a housing containing a reduction gear, adapted to pivot about the aforesaid vertical pin of the first element and comprising a grooved traction pulley driven for rotation from said reduction gear, and a clamping pulley for clamping the traction cable in the groove of said traction pulley, the third element consisting of an engine adapted to be secured on the aforesaid reduction-gear housing and to drive the reduction gear proper.

The traction pulley is characterized in that its groove has a V-shaped cross-section forming an angle relatively small, for example of the order of 15, to avoid any risk of slipping of the traction cable engaging this groove through an arc of about l80 degrees, irrespective of the traction force exerted thereon.

The attached drawing forming part of this specification illustrates diagramatically by way of example one form of embodiment of this invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one manner in which the invention may be carried out;

Figure 2 is a lateral view showing on a larger scale the mounting of the apparatus of this invention on a tree, and

Figure 3 is a plane view from above showing the same arrangement.

The power winch unit 1 is adapted to be secured by means of straps 2 on a tree properly selected in the vicinity of the place where it is desired to assemble a first heap of timber to be subsequently removed through any suitable transport means.

The timber to he dismembered may be pulled directly by the traction pulley; however, in most cases, notably in sites disposed uphill or in mountainous places, and when the site comprises obstacles to be cleared by the timber, it is frequently necessary to move along sinuous paths with changese in direction both vertically and horizontally; this can be effected notably by using sling pulleys 3, 4 over which the cable 5 may be passed, the free end of this cable being anchored on the piece of timber to be dismembered; as this piece is pulled obliquely upwards by the pulley 4 it will clear more easily the obstacles likely to be present in its path. During the operation, for example after clearing a first obstacle, the pulleys 3 and 4 may be removed if desired and secured to another tree so as to pull the timber in a direction ited States Patent 0 2,929,494 Patented Mar. 22, 71960 free of any obstacles or comprising only minor obstacles permitting a more direct pulling action.

The power winch illustrated diagrammatically in the drawings, as already set forth hereinabove, consists of three elements, each adapted to be easily carried by a man. The first element is the device whereby the other two can be fixed on the trunk of a tree. It comprises a pair of quick-action adjustable clamping straps 2 each anchored to a transverse tie-plate 7 bearing against a U-shaped member 8 adapted to engage the trunk of the tree with the outer edges of the U, as shown. The transverse tie-plates 7 are each provided with a lug 6 having a vertical bore formed therein for receiving a pivot pin 9. The second element of the power winch unit comprises a housing 10 containing a reduction gear having its output pinion rotatably rigid with a pulley 11; this housing 10 has formed integrally thereon a pair of yoke-forming arms 12 through which a pair of aligned vertical bores are formed for receiving the aforesaid pivot pin 9; thus, the housing and pulley 11 can pivot about this pin 9 through an angle of about degrees; the pulley 11 consists of a pair of circular plates or flanges fastened to each other and provided with registering bevelled edges forming together a groove 21 of a low angular value, for example of the order of 15 for the purpose of increasing the wedge action exerted on the cable; in fact, to provide a sufficient wedging of this cable in the groove 21 of the pulley 11 a follower 13 carried by a lever pivoted about a horizontal pin 15 is constantly urged towards the pulley 11 by a spring 16; the free end 17 of the lever acts as a handle whereby the follower 13 can be moved away from the pulley 11; with this arrangement the pulley 11 can pull the highest loads without allowing the cable 5 to slip, so that the free end of the cable 5 may be dropped freely after its passage between the traction pulley 11 and the follower 13.

According to another feature of this invention and in order to enable the pulley 11 to withstand the very high stress to which it is to be subjected in the field, its groove-forming bevels are coated with a suitable weld metal.

The third component element of the power which unit of this invention consists of an engine 18 comprising a base plate 19 adapted to be secured on the housing 19 of the reduction gear, for example by means of four bolts 20, and simultaneously connected to the reduction gearing input by a usual vertical connection (18', 18") indicated by dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3. As illustrated in Fig. 3 each yoke-forming'arm 12 of the housing 10 is preferably bent in a horizontal plane so as to offset laterally the housing 10 and to align the medial plane of the pulley with the axis of the pivot pin 9; thus, the pull is constantly exerted in the direction of this axis.

The power winch unit construction described hereinabove is extremely sturdy and practical, and it can be fitted on or removed from a tree in a matter of a few minutes since, in the second case for example, it will be sufiicient to remove the four bolts 20 for releasing the engine, to pull out the pivot pin 9 for releasing the reduction-gear housing and the traction pulley, and to loosen the straps 2 for releasing the first element of the assembly; each of these three elements is relatively light in weight and can be transported without any diificulty by a single man even on the steepest inclines.

Of course, it will be readily understood that the form of embodiment of the invention which is described hereinabove with reference to the attached drawing is given by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting the purpose of the invention, as many modifications may be brought thereto without departing from the'spiritiand'scope oftheinvention. Thusfthe reduc tiongear containediin the housing 10 -may comprise a be easily carried by a man, said first-element adapted-to betsecured to a vertical support and comprising adjustable clamping straps, transversetieplates connecting the respective .ends'of each said straps,each said tie plate having a horizontal'slug' with a vertical bore, .apivotpin adapted to fit said vertical 'bores, .a section of channel beam for vertically. engaging said vertical support with its open side adjacentsaid vertical support, and engaging said tie plates with its opposi'tely. disposed side thereby securely anchoring said first element against slipping vertically and transversely with respect topsaid vertical, support, a second element adapted to releasably and ,pivotally connect with said first element and comprising a reduction gear having a vertical input connection and a horizontal output shaft, a housing for said reduction gear, said housing having a horizontal top and horin l vq ez c m l rm r ugh both f which a aligned vertical bore is formed for receiving said pivot p atta ai se o e em n i onta y r ls d horizontal lugs having vertical bores of said first element,

a traction pulley having a V-groove in its perimeter, said pulley being mounted. vertically on said horizontal output shaft of said reduction gear, and the plane defined by the root of said V-groove passing through the axis of said vertically aligned pivot pin bores in said yoke- 'forming arms, said pulley for engaging said line attached to said timber in a straight line from any direction forward from said vertical support foran arc of approximately 180 degrees, and a follower pulley attached to said housing adjacent a portion of the perimeter of said traction pulley oppositely disposed from said firstelement,

said follower pulley adapted to keep said timber-attached line attached to said timber engaged with said traction pulley for approximately three quarters of the grooved perimeter of said traction pulley thereby, preventing, said line from slipping on said, traction pulley when under 7 heavy load, and said, 'third'eler'nent comprising a power innit having a base adapted to releasably, attachsaidunitto, said top, of the reduction, gear housing and a power output to' connect with said reduction gear' input.

2. Aportable power which for fastening to a vertical support for use in dragging timber to a collection area by means of a line attached to said timber, said winch comprising three elements which are readily assembled with one another, each said element being adapted to be easily carried by a man, saidfirstelement comprising a base structure adapted tobe secured to said vertical support and having vertically spaced horizontally projecting lugs with aligned vertical bores, a pivot pin adapted to fit' in said vertical bores and quick release means securing a df as st u ure to sai suppo t, a s on le adapted to releasably and pivotally connect with said first element and comprising reduction gearing, a housing containing said reduction gearing and having vertically spaced yoke-forming arms projecting rearwardly toward said base structure andlaterally to'one side of said, housing, said arms having aligned vertical bores for receiving said pivot pin releasably to attach said second element pivotally to said first element, said housing being laterally off-set from said pivot pin by reason of the lateral projection of said arms and said reduction gearing having "a vertical input connection at ;the top of said housing and a horizontal :output shaft projecting laterally from said one side of said housing, a traction pulley having a V-groove in its perimeter, said pulley being mounted vertically on said horizontal output shaft of said reduction gear and the plane defined by the root of said V-groove passing through the axis of said vertically aligned piv pi ores in ai voke-fmmi g ms, said.

pu y o gag ng s i lin a tach d to aid t m er n a st aight l ne f om any rec ion r ar tram-said e ca nppqr for an ar o appr xima e y 0d erees, n a owe pu ey a t ched o s d us ng a jac n a portion ofthe perimeter of said traction pulley oppositely disposed from said first element, said follower pulley adapted to keep said timber-attached line attached to said t-imberengaged with said traction pulley for approximately three quarters of the grooved perimeter of said traction pulleylthereby preventing said line from slipping on said traction pulley when under heavy load, and said third element comprising a power unit having a base adapted ,to releasably attach said unit to said top of the reduction gear housing and a power output to connect with said reduction gearinginput,

References (Zited in the file or this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS Woleslag le May 17, 1955 

